Meet our Members

Shalom Yam

Chief of Staff

Email:  kayam@ucsc.edu
Pronouns she/her/hers
Year 4th year
Major Economics/Mathematics
College Affiliation John R. Lewis College (Formerly known as College 10)
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About me:

My name is Shalom! Shalom also means "peace" in Hebrew, but I was actually born in China, raised in Hong Kong, completed High school in Thailand, and I am currently pursuing a combined Bachelor of Arts in Economics/Mathematics degree in the United States! I am the Chief of Staff at the VP of Diversity and Inclusion Office and I am super excited for this school year to work with my amazing team! In the meantime, I would love to know if you have any ideas or comments on how we can improve, don't hesitate to reach out to our office!

Fun Fact: 

In a span of 4 years, I’ve changed addresses for over 8 times in the Bay Area, and that made me very sensitive to the water quality in the area I live in - if you give me a glass of water, I can tell you the quality!

 

Caitlin Sutton

Program Coordinator

Email: suadpc@ucsc.edu
Pronouns she/her/hers/they/them/theirs
Year 4th year
Major Applied Physics
College Affiliation Porter

 

 

 

 

 

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About me:

I first noticed inequity in schools and the disparities between demographics at maybe too early an age. I grew up as a minority in tragically underserved communities, and then later, impoverished but in a much much better school district. This awakened me to the power we have to affect change and empower the people around us, even if it's just through emotional support. Friends, teachers, and administrators out there encouraged me to find myself, ask for help, learn from any failure, and work around any obstacle. Our most humble privileges can still help us generate equity for others. As a queer super nerd and first generation transfer student of hard to see mixed heritages, and with a devastatingly sick parent, this still feels like a tall order sometimes, but community keeps me strong.

 

With time and dedication, and some thicker skin, I started at algebra and worked my way up through math, eventually mastering calculus as a tutor. This gave me a pathway to physics, which I always dreamed of doing. Since transferring to UCSC, I've achieved my dreams of learning programming, doing materials physics research, and being the first in my lineage to study science at a university. I'm attending UCSC to study STEAM, yes. However, I'm also here to bring awareness and representation for groups whom naysayers claimed preclude me from this success. As I work toward building better medical instruments and making our public works more equitable for every demographic, I am also working to serve you and our communities as your new D&l Programs Coordinator. Remember: it takes strength to ask for help. Please reach out with your needs. We're here to help with no judgment, only respect and compassion. We have resources - and you have an ally in me.